Lessons Library
Core Rules: Check, Checkmate, and Draws
Understand when the game ends and the difference between check, checkmate, stalemate, and other draws.
Check
A king is in check when it is attacked by an opponent's piece. The player must answer the check immediately.
- Move the king to a safe square.
- Capture the attacking piece.
- Block the line of attack, when the attack is from a rook, bishop, or queen.
Checkmate
Checkmate happens when the king is in check and there is no legal way to escape. That ends the game.
- Back-rank mate uses a rook or queen against a king trapped by its own pieces.
- Scholar's Mate is a common beginner pattern with the queen and bishop attacking f7/f2.
- Fool's Mate is the fastest possible checkmate, but it requires very weak opening moves.
Draws
- Stalemate: the player to move has no legal move and is not in check.
- Dead position: no possible sequence of legal moves can lead to checkmate.
- Claimed draws: a player may claim after threefold repetition or fifty moves by each player without a pawn move or capture, when the legal conditions are met.
- Automatic draws: fivefold repetition or seventy-five moves by each player without a pawn move or capture ends the game automatically, unless the final move checkmates.
- Agreement: the players may agree to a draw when the competition rules allow an offer.